Wishful Thinking - An Amourshipping Story (Part 1)
by MetekinGiant
Summary: During Ash's eighth Gym Battle against Wulfric, Serena begins to realise that her time with Ash is almost up. Her pent-up feelings begin to release and become more obvious to those around her as she remembers all the great times she's had with Ash and co. But she's not the only one remembering the past...Will Serena confess to Ash before it's too late? Enjoy ;) Reviews Appreciated!


"Daddy?" I quivered, still shaken from his loud voice.  
He noticed me standing in the doorway, realising I'd witnessed the whole fight. He rushed to me and tightly embraced me, planting gentle kisses on my forehead.

"Serena, sweetie, you mean the world to me…" Dad spoke softly into my ear, not daring to unlock his arms from around me. I felt a small tear roll from his face onto mine, sending a shiver down my spine.

"But I have to go, honey. I have to leave. I'm leaving you with your mother here, where it's safe," he trembled.

I gasped, "But why, Daddy? Why are you going?"  
He shook his head, unable to comprehend a proper response. How could you tell your five-year-old daughter that you were leaving to join an organisation that no one knew about?

"I…I can't say. All I _can_ say is that I love you, and I'll miss you so, so much, and that I'll be thinking of you every day of my life. Alright?"  
I sniffled, feeling the shock of realising he was serious. "Why can't we go with you?" I pleaded.

Dad revealed a hint of a smile, turning away to hide it.  
He looked back to me and said plainly, "I truly believe your life would be better here, with your mother. You'll have lots of friends, and you'll never have to worry about money, and you'll have Rhyhorn to look after you until you get your own Pokémon, okay?"

He wiped a tear from my eye with his thumb, giving me a caring, compassionate glance. It was as if he was trying to burn an image of me into his head, so he couldn't forget.

"Okay, Daddy. I love you."  
"I love you, too, Serena. I'm sorry I have to go, but I can't turn back now."  
He gave me one last hug, whispering into my ear, "You're far too young and beautiful for this life. I would end the world in an instant so that your beauty never fades…"  
As he approached the door, I grabbed his hand hurriedly.

"Wait! When will I see you again, Daddy?" I asked with a worried tone.

He turned back to me with a cold, soulless expression, fresh tears streaming down his face.  
"If you're lucky…" he sighed, "…you won't."

….

 **10 years later**

….

"Hawlucha, use Karate Chop!" Ash commanded. Hawlucha charged at Wulfric's Avalugg with intense speed, aiming carefully with his glowing hand. His blow was swift, but obviously effective, as Avalugg was knocked flat onto the ground.  
I beamed at Ash adoringly, unnoticed, of course, from the sidelines of this frosty battlefield. Ash's final Kalos Gym battle was going exceptionally well, with him almost sweeping all of Wulfric's Pokémon without losing one of his own. Avalugg was all that stood in the way of Ash qualifying for the Kalos League. He had gone through so much during his time in Kalos, and I had had the pleasure of journeying with him the entire way. I was so excited for him to get to the Kalos League, but it was also bittersweet; the closer he got to the Kalos League, the less time I had with him.  
"Alright, Hawlucha, let's finish this right now! Use Focus Blast!" Ash yelled, encouraging Hawlucha with all his might. A sphere of energy charged itself between Hawlucha's palms, growing by the second. I squeezed the icicle that stood as the guardrail tightly, excited and terribly nervous at the same time.

" _Please let this work…_ " I whispered to myself.

Hawlucha unleashed its Focus Blast attack straight at a defenceless Avalugg. I clasped my hands together hopefully, resting them on my chest and calming down as I felt the soft, silky texture of the blue ribbon that hung from my neck.

Wulfric roared with laughter and slapped his enormous gut, confusing everyone on the battlefield, including the referee.  
"We're not out of this yet!" he proclaimed. "Avalugg, use Protect!"  
A green dome emerged over Avalugg, covering it completely. The Focus Blast attack exploded on contact with the dome, creating a smokescreen around Avalugg.

Wulfric chuckled, "Nice try, Ash, but you'll need to do better then that to beat my Avalugg!"

"I know," Ash replied with a grin. "That's why I used Focus Blast as a distraction in the first place."  
Wulfric's smile dissipated when he realised that Hawlucha had disappeared. Ash pointed up, revealing Hawlucha falling through the smokescreen with a fierce energy surrounding him. I gasped in shock as Hawlucha landed directly on top of Avalugg, creating a second explosion that sent both participants flying. When the smoke cleared, both Avalugg and Hawlucha had fainted.

"Avalugg and Hawlucha are unable to battle, however the challenger still has remaining Pokémon left, so the winner is the challenger, Ash!" the referee announced.

I squealed in delight, rushing onto the battlefield. I slipped over on the icy surface, almost falling before I was caught by Ash. He had one hand around my waist and the other on Hawlucha's Pokéball. I was momentarily stunned, unable to speak. It appeared Ash was in a similar trance, because it took Clemont falling over to snap us both out of it. While Bonnie cracked up laughing, I took advantage of the opportunity and gave Ash a quick hug, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Congratulations, Ash! You won!" I cheered, checking to see if Ash was trying to free himself from my embrace.

Ash grinned, "Yeah, we did! I'm so happy Hawlucha pulled that move off, though. I should go check on him for a sec." I nodded and together we slid carefully over to Hawlucha, who was only starting to stir.  
Ash kneeled down to Hawlucha and gave him a hug, shouting, "We did it, Hawlucha!" Ash's enthusiasm seemed to give Hawlucha a second wind, as he stood up and flexed confidently, like there was never a doubt in the result.  
"Lu-cha!" Hawlucha yelled proudly as he showed of his biceps. I giggled, allowing all the pent-up stress from the battle to leave me. As I replayed the battle in my mind, I remembered that glowing energy around Hawlucha from that last move. I hadn't seen anything like _that_ before.

"Hey, Ash?"

Ash gave Hawlucha a grin before looking up at me. "Yeah?"  
"I've never seen that move before. You know, that last one Hawlucha did. What was it?" I asked, interested in where he saw that performed.

A booming voice emerged from behind me, "I'm curious about that, too, young man."

I jumped, startled by Wulfric's appearance. His mere stature was intimidating; I instinctively moved closer to Ash's side, just as a precaution. It took me a second to realise that he had said something in the first place, but Ash seemed happy to explain his winning manoeuvre.

"Well, a few days before our Gym Battle, I was training with Pikachu, Hawlucha, Frogadier, Talonflame and Noivern. You know, some Gym Battle prep. I had Frogadier taking on Hawlucha one-on-one, and Hawlucha was taking some really bad hits. I wanted him to use Flying Press, but something happened. Hawlucha began charging this weird energy, and as he launched himself into the air, he glowed bright red. I had no idea what he was doing, but when he hit Frogadier with it, he hit _hard_. So hard that he actually fainted in the process. I guess it's a self-sacrificing move, or something."

Wulfric nodded, apparently understanding everything Ash was saying. He paused for a second, then replied, "Young man, I believe the move your Hawlucha executed is called Final Gambit. I've heard of particular Fighting-types learning it, and even some Flying-types, but I'd never seen it before, let alone had it used against me in battle! You're right, it is a _very_ strong move, but it is also brutally punishing. I haven't heard of a Pokémon using Final Gambit and _not_ fainting. Be careful when using it, you could harm Hawlucha much more seriously than you think."

"Final Gambit, huh?" Ash wondered. "Sure, Wulfric. I'll be careful using it. Hawlucha is like family to me, and I would never want to deliberately cause him pain. Thank you, sir."

Wulfric chuckled, calling over the referee.  
"It's words like that that make me proud to hand this over," he said, reaching for a small Badge that rested on a pure white pillow. It was a blue gem with a gold casing around it, with smaller blue gems surrounding the central one.

"Here you go, Ash: the Iceberg Badge," Wulfric declared. "May it allow your journey to move at a steady, yet unstoppable pace, like an iceberg."

I smiled, holding Bonnie in front of me as Ash accepted the Iceberg Badge. He celebrated with his team, overjoyed that he had finally gotten all eight Badges.

"Wow…it only took him a few months to get all the Badges of Kalos. He really is an amazing person…" I muttered, enjoying watching Ash pump his Pokémon up with glee.

"Well, he _did_ have some help, Serena…" Clemont pitched in.

" _He must've heard me,"_ I realised.  
I turned to him and nodded, "Of course! Without you and Bonnie, I'm certain Ash wouldn't have gotten this far…at least, not yet, anyway."  
Clemont smiled, "You shouldn't leave yourself out, Serena. You've been the deciding factor in many decisions Ash has made since we first met you. You've had a big impact on him, too…possibly a bigger impact than either of us."  
I blushed; surprised that Clemont was so openly honest about me. Although, honestly, he was just saying the things I was too shy…or self-conscious to say about myself.

"Thanks, Clemont," I began, "But I think you're exaggerating a little bit."

Clemont chuckled and leaned towards me, whispering into my ear, "Don't act coy, just because you have feelings for him."

I gasped, "W-What? I…I-I don't know what you mea…" Clemont cut me off by giving me a piercing look. A devastatingly honest look.

" _Damn you and your truth-invoking spectacles, Clemont…_ " I thought.  
I let go of Bonnie, allowing her to go play with Ash's Pokémon, before responding, "I don't…okay, fine. I _might_ have a teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy crush on Ash, alright?" I sighed a breath of relief, feeling a wave of pressure taken from me after having finally told someone.

"I may not be a genius when it comes to relationships, Serena," Clemont began, "But leaving home to chase a boy you hadn't seen for eight years who might not, and _didn't_ , even remember you around South Kalos seems like reason to suspect you have more than a _teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy_ crush on him."

My cheeks turned ruby red. "How long have you known?"  
Clemont's glasses shimmered as he replied, "Since Courmarine City, after you...changed. I read up on psychological possessions, and found that you used your blue ribbon as an anchor."  
"What do you mean by _anchor_?" I questioned.

"Well, think of it like this…" Clemont instructed as we watched Ash and Bonnie celebrate with his team. "An anchor's purpose is to keep a boat still, collected and in one place, even in the roughest of seas. When times get tough, or if you're nervous, you immediately make contact with your ribbon. You _need_ to physically touch it to calm yourself, which makes me curious as to why you cherish it so much."  
I blushed again as I remembered that hopeful day on the monorail in Courmarine City. So many things went wrong for me that day, but a few things just happened to go right.

I felt the smooth texture of the ribbon Ash gave me and smiled, "Oh, there's nothing to it, Clemont. This is just a simple, royal blue ribbon…"  
Clemont looked at me and said, "I realise the ribbon itself is nothing spectacular, no offence, but I suspect there is more to it than that…maybe something happened that you're not telling me?"

I giggled, enjoying teasing Clemont for a moment, "Maybe…that seems _very_ plausible…"

I left Clemont in a clueless state and slid back over to Ash, who was watching Bonnie tape Hawlucha's hand.  
"Hey, Serena. What did Clemont want?" Ash asked.

I replied, "Oh, nothing. He was just thinking about a new invention, I think."

He nodded, a sparkle in his eyes obvious as he muttered, "Science is so amazing…"

I smiled and turned to Bonnie. "How's Hawlucha, Bonnie?" I queried.  
Bonnie flashed a grin and said, "His hand's okay, just a bit sore. He'll get through it, though. Hawlucha's tough!"  
Hawlucha took the comment of admiration as a signal to show off his physique again. He cried his name as he flexed over and over, making Bonnie laugh as she tried her best to imitate him.

" _Bonnie's so sweet,_ " I thought caringly. " _I hope I'm lucky enough to have a baby girl like her with A…_ " I stopped myself. Was I seriously about to think that? Maybe Clemont had a point when he pointed out that my crush on Ash was borderline obsessive.  
Although, as I gazed over at Ash who was helping a giggling Bonnie up after she'd slipped over, I found it almost impossible to not fantasise a life with him…after the Kalos League. We'd go touring around one of the neighbouring regions; I'd always liked Sinnoh, and then maybe settle down back in Kalos, or even back in Ash's hometown in Kanto.

Of course, all this was just idyllic daydreaming. A bit of wishful thinking. Ash would never think of me like that, but all I could do was remain hopeful that something changed his mind one day.

I sighed as Ash looked up at me and grinned, pumping my heart full of adrenaline, ecstatic that Ash was so happy.  
"One day, Ash…one day."

….

 **Team Flare Secret HQ – Geosenge Town**

….

I watched as two grunts passes the door of my private quarters on their usual 6:45pm guard shift, their Mightyena following proudly in suit. I smiled to myself, admiring their mindless dedication to a cause they were born into. It gave me a sense of purpose, something I needed to protect…as if I didn't already have that.

I reached over to my nightstand where a simple photo frame stood in the middle of the mirror. As I admired the difference in contrast between my thick, orange beard and blue eyes, I grabbed the photo frame and returned to my bed, my Pyroar beginning to stir from its slumber.

I smirked as I patted his fur, receiving a loud purr-like sound of approval in return.  
"Nice nap?" I asked, massaging his neck gently.

"Py-roar, py…" Pyroar spoke, nodding his head slowly. He looked at the picture in the frame I was holding and looked to me inquisitively.  
"Oh, she's…" I paused, pondering whether or not I should tell him. I eventually thought nothing of it and continued, "She's my daughter. This is… _was_ the last photo I got of her before I…" I stopped, unable to finish my sentence. Apparently I still couldn't say it aloud, which was a pain.  
Pyroar stared at me with a confused expression. I sniffled and quickly wiped an emerging tear, "It's nothing; not important."  
I put the photo back up on my nightstand and straightened my blazer, cleaning myself up.  
"What do you say we take a little stroll around the base, Pyroar? Maybe stop and visit that cute little Arcanine you seem to be taking a fancy to in the Common Area?" I chuckled, taking pleasure in watching Pyroar blush. He eventually agreed, and we exited the room.  
As Pyroar walked onwards, I took a second to glance back through the glass pane in my door at that picture. It was a good picture, too. It perfectly captured her joyful spirit and caring way of life. It also showed the similarities between her mother and I…before I left, at least.  
It had her glistening honey-blonde hair, shining in the sunlight, and my deep, blue eyes taking in the beauty around her. From memory, it was taken a week before she went to some Summer Camp, or something…I don't really remember.

I sighed after one last look at her picture, "One day, Serena…one day."


End file.
